By Nandita BoseNEW YORK (Reuters) - A slowdown in global consumer confidence threatens to overshadow the holiday shopping season in the United States, which despite a strong start is not immune to developments in Europe. Super Saturday, the last before Christmas and the biggest shopping day of the U.S. holiday season, is likely to bring in more than $26 billion in revenue, retail consultancy Customer Growth Partners (CGP) said, up from $24.5 billion a year ago.gi But shares in U.S. retailers including Amazon Inc <AMZN.O> were hit on Monday after a profit warning from British online fashion retailer ASOS <ASOS.L>, showing that even previously high-flying, online-only retailers were vulnerable to deteriorating consumer sentiment. The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates again on Wednesday and with European retailers reporting weaker sales and Chinese consumers holding back, there are concerns that U.S. consumers could turn skittish too. U.S. package … [Read more...] about European retail storm casts a shadow over U.S. holiday shopping

By Roxana Kopetman | [email protected] | Orange County RegisterPUBLISHED: September 28, 2018 at 6:51 pm | UPDATED: September 28, 2018 at 6:51 pm With more than 30 fellow immigrants lined up to vote, Bruno and Maria Lopez took turns and followed all the steps – they checked in with polling monitors, took a ballot, filled it out. When they were done, they even got a pair of “I voted” stickers. It was all a rehearsal for the real thing – once they become citizens. A man practices filling out a voters ballot during a workshop for 1st time voters at the TODEC Legal Center in Perris on Friday, September 21, 2018. (Photo by Stan Lim, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) A pamphlet encourage people to vote is written in Spanish during a workshop for 1st time Latino voters at the TODEC Legal Center in Perris on Friday, September 21, 2018. (Photo by Stan Lim, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) SoundThe gallery will resume insecondsPatriotic balloons decorated the gym at Perris High … [Read more...] about In the age of Trump, reaching Latino voters hits all angles as midterms approach

(Reuters) - French Connection Group's cost-cutting drive <FCCN.L> helped reduce losses slightly in the first half of 2018, but sales dropped, interim results showed on Thursday, underscoring the intense competition facing the FCUK brand owner. The British fashion retailer said overall revenue fell 10.5 percent to 27.3 million pounds, as like-for-like sales in the UK, Europe were 7 percent lower. French Connection has closed stores and hired new management and design teams as it struggles to fend off competition from fast-fashion rivals such as ASOS <ASOS.L>, Forever 21 and Inditex's <ITX.MC> Zara. The company expects to close eight more stores this year and has reviewed lease contracts of various other loss-making stores, it said, citing deterioration of trading conditions on the UK high street. "There is no doubt that progress has not been helped by the trading conditions in which we operate in the UK," said Chief Executive Stephen Marks, who holds a 41.6 percent … [Read more...] about French Connection’s half-year loss narrows, but sales drop

Jennifer Jacobs, Shawn Donnan, Andrew Mayeda and Saleha Mohsin, Bloomberg Published 4:45 am PDT, Friday, August 31, 2018 Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds ahead of delivering a speech at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Boao, China, on April 10, 2018. Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds ahead of delivering a speech at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Boao, China, on April 10, 2018. Photo: Bloomberg Photo By Qilai Shen. Photo: Bloomberg Photo By Qilai Shen. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds ahead of delivering a speech at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Boao, China, on April 10, 2018. Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds ahead of delivering a speech at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Boao, China, on April 10, 2018. … [Read more...] about Trump to back $200 billion China tariffs as early as next week, sources say